The Old Fort is positioned to take advantage of one of the finest dining vistas on the Island, perhaps only rivalled by the Little Gloster and Ventnor’s Spyglass. On those balmy summer Seaview nights when the sea breeze allows it, you can sit right on the seawall and stare in... Read more

As exciting as the Needles is with its internationally famous chalk stacks, geologist-stimulating coloured cliffs and the thrill-seekers’ chairlift; you can get a bunch of similar experiences at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. OK, there aren’t any chalky pinnacles stretching out towards Selsey, but there is... Read more

The best fish and chips on the Island? Well, that’s a crown that’s keenly fought for; and also a question we get asked a lot. Alas we’re unlikely ever to gain a definitive answer, but we keep on trying. It’s a difficult thing to find the acme of the... Read more

Remember the golden days of the theatrical farce? Comedies of embarrassment: meek hen-pecked husbands, saucy secretaries and the impromptu arrival of a vicar as the ante of chaos was well and truly upped. This genre of situation comedy was clearly fictional. No real life irritation could be compounded to... Read more

We’ve all seen photos of the halcyon days Isle of Wight tourism. Esplanades filled with promenading Edwardians; Ryde Pier swarming with excited 1950s families; beaches packed with sun-worshippers in the seventies. It’s possible in these uncertain times that we might see a return to those visitor numbers, as people... Read more

Back when he was a nipper living at the vicarage in Sandown, Matt’s grandparents would come and stay for Easter – an important time in his family’s calendar. While the vicar and his wife busied themselves with preparing the church for its most important service, Matt’s grandad would take... Read more

Back in the day, our descriptions of East Cowes included slightly pejorative terms like ‘tired’, ‘statistically deprived’ and the even more harsh ‘miserable’. These words have been quoted from a review more than a decade old – today we’re pleased to say such descriptions have been superseded by more... Read more

Some combinations just seem to make sense, but even so, somebody was the first to try them. Imagine the first person to put mustard on ham, for example. They must have felt pretty pleased with themselves. Or the smart alec who worked out that cheese goes with wine. Really?... Read more

We often get asked if we are recognised when we go out for dinner. We assume that most chefs are too busy rustling up some food magic in the kitchen to care what we look like. Front of house is trickier, but by the time we’re tucked our bibs... Read more

Throughout England the allure of Wetherspoons is quite irresistible. And it’s easy to see why. The budget pub chain has a reputation for its sympathetic treatment of historic town centre buildings – as we discovered for ourselves in Harrogate. And, of course, it’s cheap as chips. Regardless of its... Read more